UM student arrested in damaging cars, house

ORONO – Odd and destructive behavior resulted in the early Tuesday morning arrest of a University of Maine student.

It started when a fire alarm went off Tuesday around 4 a.m. at the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity house. The fire call turned out to be a sprinkler system malfunction, but fraternity brothers spotted another fraternity member driving back and forth in front of the house on College Avenue, UM spokesman Joe Carr said Wednesday.

One brother thought it was strange and got in his car and followed Jared Cloutier, 19, of Lisbon. Cloutier eventually returned to the Phi Kappa Sigma house and the other driver blocked Cloutier’s truck in the driveway with his Volkswagen sedan.

“At that point, Cloutier became agitated [and] backed his truck up into the sedan several times causing serious damage to both vehicles,” Carr said.

Some of the other fraternity brothers came outside in an attempt to manage the situation, but their effort was unsuccessful.

Cloutier climbed into the back of his Ford pickup truck and began throwing canned food items at the sedan and other vehicles in the driveway. Carr said it’s unclear why he had canned items in the back of his truck.

The brothers called police, which further angered Cloutier. He went into the house and began breaking windows and other items in the house.

When UM Public Safety officers arrived, Cloutier was arrested and charged with aggravated criminal mischief. He also was issued a citation for illegal possession of alcohol by a minor by consumption.

The case is under review by the Penobscot County District Attorney to determine if additional charges will be filed and also is being reviewed by the UM Dean of Students Office to see if Cloutier violated the student conduct code.

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